6 Cheap (or Free) Things to Do in L.A. This Week

From a movie about a serial killer to a killer short-film fest, here's some cool stuff to do — all for eight bucks or less.

As host Andy Kindler himself might put it, "What is it, my anniversary? What is it, 12 months since I started? What is it, a third thing?" The Marc Maron and Bob's Burgers veteran welcomes fellow stand-ups including Nikki Glaser, Kurt Braunohler and Beth Stelling to the first anniversary of Andy Kindler's Particular Show, celebrating a year of pessimism, alienation and industry-insider outrage. In an August list of the "10 Best New Stand-Up Shows in L.A.," we wrote of Kindler's show: "Any premises too cutesy, hacky or toothless will incur Kindler's unique brand of eye-popping ridicule. ... It's as real — and revealing — as live comedy gets." Nerdist Showroom at Meltdown Comics, 7522 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; Fri., Nov. 20, 9 p.m.; $8. nerdmeltla.com. —Julie Seabaugh

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Michael Mann makes genre movies like no one else, not that he always gets credit for it. (Latest example: Blackhat, the most underrated film of the year.) Were you aware, for instance, that it was actually Manhunter and not The Silence of the Lambs that first brought Hannibal Lecter to the silver screen? Brian Cox's take on that most infamous of cannibals is closer to the Mads Mikkelsen end of the spectrum than Anthony Hopkins, and it's a vital part of this odd, unsettling exploration of the character. The New Beverly shows it along with Thief, another of Mann's underseen works, which stars James Cann as — wait for it — a thief. New Beverly Cinema, 7165 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax; Fri., Nov. 20, 7 p.m.; $8. (323) 938-4038, thenewbev.com. —Michael Nordine

On the heels of UCLA's high-concept Game Art Festival comes the relaxed International Games Day, which gives the general public a chance to try out avant-garde analog and digital games designed by students. In the board game Will I Get Measles at Disneyland? each player is a mother shepherding her kids through a theme park full of infected children. GoldenStern is a pinball-like video game that uses an Xbox controller to mimic flippers, sending a golden coin bouncing off beautifully rendered faces. At 1 p.m., listen to the music of Super Mario, Zelda and Witcher 3, performed live by the Game Music Ensemble. UCLA Powell Library, second-floor rotunda, 405 Hilgard Ave., Westwood; Sat., Nov. 21, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; free. ucla.in/1Ku7Ghm. —Sascha Bos

Pop culture consumers with deep pockets will converge on Designer Con 2015, a two-day event that attracts 300-plus vendors selling designer toys, art, apparel and other collectibles across more than 70,000 square feet of space. Competing for shoppers' attention will be live demonstrations, a panel led by the creative folks behind Kidrobot, signings and DJs, in addition to a Back to the Future–themed art show and dozens of comic book covers re-created by fans using Legos. Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena; Sat., Nov. 21, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; $7. designercon.com. —Siran Babayan

Actor-writer-director Donald Ian Black poses a challenge for L.A.-based filmmakers: Keep it really short. For Tiny Teeny, back after a two-year hiatus, artists are tasked with making a short film that clocks in at less than four minutes. The results of this experiment in pithy cinema will be screened on Sunday night. This year's directors include the Walsh Brothers (The Great & Secret Comedy Show), Grant McFadden (The Hometown Show) and Kelsea Burke. Live music, including a live improvised short-film score by Ghiant, rounds out the night. HM157, 3110 N. Broadway, Lincoln Heights; Sun., Nov. 22, 7 p.m.; $7. (562) 895-9399, hm157.com —Liz Ohanesian

Raymond Chandler wrote or co-wrote three produced screenplays, two of which you've probably heard of: Double Indemnity (directed by Billy Wilder) and Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock). In between these two classics came the lesser known The Blue Dahlia, in which a man who once pulled a gun on his unfaithful wife for failing to prevent the death of their son is suspected of her eventual murder. Decide for yourself whether this time was the charm for co-stars Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, whose third pairing it was. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire; Tue., Nov. 24, 1 p.m.; $5. (323) 857-6000, lacma.org. —Michael Nordine